Last Chance
by smile-like-santana
Summary: Caroline & Kate - It's been one year since the last episode of the first season. Caroline, Kate and the boys are living together, happily when one night Kate reveals a longing she has and she has to act on it soon, or she may never be able to fulfil her dream... Will Caroline go along with it? Or will Kate's feelings destroy their newfound happiness? (Rating can change)
1. Intro

**LAST CHANCE**

"I'm 38."

Caroline looked at her lover, whom was wrapped up in her arms right now. Kate was gazing at the fire and not looking at Caroline. They were sitting on the couch, the steam that their tea produced was swirling to the ceiling of their new home.

It was one year after they got back together, after the short time they had broken up because of Celia. They had decided to move in together, three months later but they decided that since Kate's place was too small and Caroline's carried too many memories of her marriage to John, they couldn't live in neither places, so, they decided to get their own place. It was a beautiful, quite modern house with four bedrooms, one of them they had turned into a guest room. It had two bathrooms as well and it was quite big, but they could afford it because Celia helped them a bit. It was her way of saying sorry and while Caroline didn't want her to pay at first, Celia kept nagging, saying it was the perfect house for them and the boys so well… eventually they accepted. Caroline is glad she did because this house was perfect for them.

"Yeah, love; I know." Caroline said with an amused smile, wondering why Kate was bringing her age up, out of the blue. She let her fingers glide through Kate's beautiful, almost black hair. She loved her girlfriend's hair.

Kate looked up at Caroline. "I don't have any kids of my own." She added softly.

Caroline's fingers stilled. "No…" She said, softly, already guessing what this might be about but praying it wasn't what she thought.

"My… my time to have kids is running out." Kate informed her and Caroline bit her lip as she dropped her hand, of which the fingers had just been occupied with Kate's hair, into her lap. She kept quiet, so Kate was able to finish. "I… I haven't told you this before because I didn't think that this… feeling would stick around but… it has." She told Caroline, feeling the fear creep up on her. "I know that you have two amazing sons and you know that I love Laurence and William as my own… well… almost." She told Caroline as she sat up a little. "I-I think that I… I want to… have a baby of my own, now that I still can." She announced and Caroline looked away.

She couldn't believe this. Kate's ex-husband broke up their marriage because Kate didn't want to have kids. Caroline thought that she was safe now, that this question would never come up but now… it had and she didn't know how to react to it.

"Kate…" She said, obviously at loss and Kate sat up.

"I-I know. I know that this isn't what you want but I'm just telling you what I feel, right now…" She told her girlfriend. "I realize that you've been there and done that… more than once but… I can't help what I feel, Caroline. And… and I'm scared… that if you don't… if you can't do this with me I'll… I'll have to… I might have to do it on my own." She said as she sat up straight and Caroline looked at Kate.

"Kate…" She said again. "Are you… are you serious?" She wondered, her thoughts swirling around in her head.

"I am." Kate said with a dead serious expression on her face.

Caroline shook her head softly. "I am 46… I… If we had a child now, I'd be 60 when they were fourteen… I… I might not even see my grandchildren… well, not of that particular child. I… I'm not sure that that is fair, to that baby, I mean." She explained.

Kate shook her head. "Caroline, so many people have children when they are over forty. It's… it's not that uncommon." She said carefully and Caroline swallowed.

"C-Can we perhaps talk about this another time? It's late… I have to go to work tomorrow… I… I need to seriously think about this, Kate." She said and Kate nodded.

"I understand." She responded but before Caroline could get up, she placed her hand over Caroline's. "I'm sorry I just… blurted it out like that." She told her and squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "I know this is a lot to take in and I… look, Caroline, I love you and if I could… if I could 'un-feel' this, I would but I can't." She said, almost tearing up because she knew this could very well be the breaking point of their relationship.

Caroline looked at her lover and her heart ached for her. She sighed and decided to hug Kate again. "We'll figure this out, sweetie." She told her and sighed again. She hoped that her words were true.


	2. Chapter 1: Talk With Mum and Kate

**Author Notes: Hello, everyone. I got a message saying that on the show, Kate is in her mid-forties but because I don't really see that (Nina looks so young, no?), I am going to keep her 38 in this story, which probably makes this fan fiction a little AU. I hope you don't mind. I'd love some feedback so… if you have anything to say, don't hesitate to leave a comment!**

_Chapter 1: Talk with mum_

Caroline's car pulled up in front of her mother's flat, which she shared with her fiancé. She sighed before she got out of the car and locked it before she walked to the door. She rang it and then heard the buzzer, signaling that she was allowed to go up. She walked quite quickly and then tapped on the door before Alan opened the door.

"Caroline! We hadn't expected you today. Come in." He said and Caroline smiled at the friendly man.

"Yes, I've come to see my mother. I need to talk about something with her." She told him and he nodded, just as Celia appeared.

"Caroline, I didn't know you'd be coming today. Do you want some tea?" She wondered and Caroline nodded.

"Tea would be great, yes." She said as she shrugged off her coat and hung it on the coat rack.

"I'll go get you a cup." Alan said as he went to the kitchen. Caroline followed her mother to the living room and sat down with a sigh.

"You look worried. Has something happened?" Celia wondered and Caroline nodded.

"Yes, you could say that." She sighed.

Celia frowned. "Did you and Kate get into a fight? Are the boys alright?" She wondered, worry obvious in her voice. That made Caroline smile.

"We didn't have a fight and Will and Laurence are fine… but Kate did express a wish… one I know is hard for someone to ignore and I'm scared that it might rip us apart." She said, carefully.

Celia raised her eyebrows. "Well?" She questioned.

Caroline took a deep breath. "So… Kate wants a baby. She doesn't have any children of her own and she… she misses that. She says she loves the boys but that doesn't mean that she doesn't want any kids of her own. She wants a baby she gave birth to and I don't know if I can go through that again. I'm 46 for Christ's sake. I'll be 56 when that baby is ten… I might not see them get married nor have children. I don't know if I can do that, you know?" She wondered.

Celia was quiet for a while, and Alan came with the tea for Celia and Caroline. "I'm going to take a little walk. I think you ladies wouldn't mind some privacy, right?" He wondered and both women smiled gratefully at him.

When he'd left, Celia turned to her daughter. "When Laurence was two, you wanted another child, didn't you? But John held you back, if I remember correctly… hasn't a third child always been your dream?" She wondered and Caroline nodded.

"It was when I was 30, but now… I don't know, I've always wanted more children but that was when I was younger. I am scared that I'm just too old to raise a little baby into an adult." She told Celia.

"Maybe… you should kind of weigh off how bad Kate wants a baby and how bad you're opposed to it… and also, how willing you are to give up Kate because you know that a break-up is something that might happen if you can't give her what she needs. I think you two should just have a long conversation about it… and then you have to decide, Caroline." Celia said. "I wish I could say something to make it all vanish but I can't; sadly."

Caroline stirred her tea and bit her lip. She really didn't know what to do. She hoped that when she talked to Kate tonight, maybe some things could be cleared up.

"How is the wedding coming along?" She wondered, wanting to change the subject.

"Oh, good," Celia began.

**-C&K-**

Caroline walked into the house. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, so that meant that Kate, William and Laurence were all at home. While William was in his room, Laurence was once again in front of the TV and Kate was setting the table for dinner. Caroline could smell the dinner and she popped into the living room. "Go help Kate set the table, Laurence." She ordered and Laurence rolled his eyes but sat up anyway and went to the dinner room, taking over from Kate who returned to the kitchen.

Caroline went in there as well and smiled at Kate. She was so in love with this woman. It was really hard to imagine for her ever loving anyone else – man nor woman – and she couldn't believe that something like a baby might tear them apart, but she knew that the chances were quite big. Was she really ready to sacrifice Kate? She didn't think she was, or would ever be. Kate seemed a little mad, because she just kept on working on dinner and there was no way she hadn't heard Caroline come in. She sighed and walked up behind Kate. She wrapped her arms around Kate's waist and nuzzled into the beautiful, dark hair. "Hey." She said softly and Kate couldn't help but smile a little.

It wasn't as if she was mad at Caroline, how could she ever be mad at that beautiful, blonde angel but well… she was scared. Scared that this whole baby debacle would break them up but it was just something she can't help. "Hi…" Kate said slowly before she turned around to face Caroline.

Caroline lifted her hand and stroked through Kate's hair. "You're gorgeous…" She said with an almost sad smile, knowing that in a few weeks, they might not be together anymore. Just the mere thought of that broke her heart.

Kate smiled and leaned in to kiss Caroline softly. "You're magnificent." She said and smiled before she kissed Caroline again.

The two women looked into each other's eyes and both could see the nervousness in the other person's eyes and both tried to soothe that with a soft smile. "We'll work this out…" Caroline said and Kate nodded, though she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure at all.

**-C&K-**

Caroline and Kate sat on the sofa once again, but not as close and cuddled up as a few days ago. "How bad do you want this baby?" Caroline broke the silence.

Kate looks up and sighs as she thinks. "Eleven out of ten…" She said with a shrug. "I can't help it…" She added. "I wish I could, but I can't." She looked sad and Caroline bit her lip. "How bad do you _not_ want this baby?" Kate shot back.

Caroline had to think about it. It wasn't as if she loathed the idea of having a baby – she had once had the dream of having a third child – but she isn't really thrilled about it either. "I-I'd say… seven and a half out of ten…" She told Kate, who kind of looked relieved. She had expected it to be way worse.

"Is there anything other than your age that worries you? I mean… what other reasons are there to not want this baby?" Kate asked and Caroline sighed. "It really can't be just about one reason, can it?" She questioned.

"My job, the boys, the whole process of trying to get you pregnant, the people who'll judge us for having a baby so late in our lives…" She said and Kate shook her head as she moved a little closer, though her arms were still crossed.

"Your job is secure. You don't have to be away for ages, Caroline. A few weeks after the birth of our baby and you can start working again… it's not that impossible. I'm sure the boys won't mind too much. William is off to college soon and Laurence… well… okay, maybe he'll mind a little but won't he get used to it?" She wondered. "The process… well, yes, that'll be a lot of work and it'll take a while but it's possible and if we work quickly, I might be pregnant in a year or less. Sure, it's not the fastest way but… it could be worse." She tried and Caroline sighed. "Did you never want any more children after the boys?" Kate wondered.

Caroline considered lying but knew she couldn't. "I did… but I was so much younger then." She hurriedly said.

"You're acting as if you are sixty. You're 45. Sure, you're not going to be the youngest mother ever but… not the oldest either." She told her.

Caroline looked into Kate's eyes. "Can I… Can I think about it a little longer? This isn't an easy decision." She told Kate, who of course understood Caroline.

They smiled softly at each other and Kate uncrossed her arms, inviting Caroline to come lay with her. Caroline doubted whether or not she would do it, only for a second. She moved closer and settled with her back against Kate's front, feeling her arms wrap around her. She sighed as she lifted her hand and placed it on Kate's cheek, turning her head and nuzzling her cheek.

She loved Kate. She couldn't remember her life without her and didn't want to imagine her future without Kate in it. She loved her like crazy.

Was a baby really that bad? Couldn't it bring some more happiness? She had always wanted another baby… and well, Kate was right when she said she wouldn't be the oldest mother ever.

She could gain another child, to love and to cherish and also have her lover in her life. Or she couldn't have this baby with Kate and lose the love of her life.

When she looked at it like that…

"I… Let's have a baby." Caroline whispered and she felt Kate kind of jump behind her. Caroline hadn't talked in the past forty-five minutes and Kate didn't think she'd talk so soon.

"What? A-Are you sure?" Kate asked, in awe of Caroline's words. "You're sure you're not going to resent me for pushing you into this?" She wondered.

Caroline turned and pressed her lips against Kate's. "First and foremost, I want to make you happy and if a child will make you happy, I want to give it to you. Also, I've always wanted another baby. The fact that it's later than I had planned, doesn't chance that I've always wanted at least three children… And I mean, a child is always a blessing. I want this. I do." She told Kate before she kissed her again.

Sure, Caroline was still scared but now that she had said it; the thought of actually having another baby didn't seem as scary anymore.


	3. Chapter 2: The Boys

**Author Notes: Hello everyone. It's been a little while since I updated . Sorry about that. Hope you like this chapter.**

_Chapter 2: The Boys_

Caroline woke up and as she felt Kate's arms around her, she smiled. She moved to snuggle into Kate's chest and felt her sore muscles. Last night had been one hell of a celebration. God, it had been good. She nuzzled the side of Kate's breast and heard her girlfriend stir and she smiled softly.

"Hey, beautiful." Kate said and Caroline felt the butterflies in her stomach.

She looked up at her dark beauty. "Hello, gorgeous." Caroline said back and sat up so she could kiss Kate, quite lazily. It was a slow kiss. "I love you." Kate whispered against the familiar pink lips of her lover.

Caroline nodded. "I know. I love me too." She giggled and Kate joined her as they shared an Eskimo kiss. "I adore you." She told Kate as she stroked the side of Kate's face. Her eye fell on the clock and her eyes widened. "It's almost 11AM." She told Kate, who chuckled.

"Well, I blame you for that. You made our night quite _active_." Kate said and beamed. She was just so incredibly happy.

Caroline shook her head with a smile. "If I remember correctly, you didn't really protest." She whispered before their lips joined again.

Kate rolled her girlfriend on her back and straddled her hips before she pinned her arms above her head. Caroline bit her lip and yes, that was Kate's kryptonite. "You look so sexy when you do that…" She leaned down to kiss the woman.

Caroline felt where this was leading and she pulled back. "Kate, we can't. The boys…" She whispered. "Besides, once our baby is here, we won't be able to sleep this late for many years." She told her partner who nodded.

"Well, yeah… Ugh, alright. Let's go face the day." She told Caroline who nodded and kissed Kate one last time before Kate got off her. She walked to the door, naked, which made Caroline want to run her hands all over her, but she knew she couldn't now. Tonight, maybe. She got up as well and stretched. She saw Kate looking at her and chuckled, making Kate look away shyly. So adorable.

Caroline put on her bathrobe and so did Kate. "Why don't you go shower – and no, I'm not joining because we all know where that leads – and I'll go see if the boys haven't ruined the house yet." She told Kate as she turned to the stairs, walking down as Kate went to the shower.

**-C&K-**

It was dinner time and Caroline smiled at her boys. "Hey, have you two packed all you need for your visit with your dad?" She wondered. William and Laurence both nodded. Ever since the divorce, the boys spent a weekend with their dad every two weeks, and half of every school vacation.

"So, guys, we actually want to talk to you about something." Kate told her lover's sons. The boys looked up at them, curiosity in their eyes.

"I won't beat around the bush," Caroline began. "Kate and I have been talking and we've decided that we'd really like to have a baby." She told the boys, who both looked quite shocked.

"Mom, you're 46. You told me you can't have any more kids." Laurence said.

Kate smiled softly. "But I can. I'm only 38." She told her stepson.

William smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's possible, I suppose. That's great. I am going to university soon, so I won't be around as much as Laurence will be but I'll be here as much as I can. I want to be a good big brother to my next baby sibling." He said with a grin.

Caroline chuckled. "I know you do. That's great, William." She told her son before she looked at Laurence, who looked a little sad. "What about you, Laurence…? What do you think?" She wondered, which made the boy look up and shrug.

"I don't really get why you need another baby… I mean, we're here, right?" He wondered. Kate and Caroline made eye contact.

"That's true and you know Kate and I love you, right?" She questioned, which made Laurence nod. "But Kate doesn't have any children of her own. She'd really like one. That doesn't mean that we don't love you anymore or love you less. It's just that there's enough love in this house to make this baby feel loved… alright? You won't be forgotten once the new baby is here." She asked.

Laurence nodded slowly. "Can you make it a boy?" He wondered. "A real one that isn't a puff like William." He asked, earning him a stomp on his arm from his brother.

Kate looked at the boys. "So, are you two alright with us going through with this?" She wondered. William was already nodding and slowly, Laurence did too.

Kate and Caroline shared a smile and Caroline grabbed Kate's hand, squeezing it softly. That went quite well. She wondered how the rest of the family would take it. She didn't really care about John's feelings but well, Alan, Gillian… and people at school would certainly have their opinions as well. She did care what people said about her but she knew that she wanted this and she wouldn't change her mind.


End file.
